Law & Crime

Someone who steals merchandise valued at more than $200 can be convicted of a felony in Virginia – denied the right to vote, and required to tell employers about past criminal conduct. Now, there’s a move in Richmond to raise the threshold for a charge of larceny, making it possible for thieves to steal up to $1,500 worth of stuff and be charged with a misdemeanor. The idea has store owners seeing red as Sandy Hausman reports.

Gun owners from out of state will find it harder to carry a concealed weapon in Virginia, beginning this February.

Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring says the state will no longer recognize concealed carry permits issued by other states whose standards aren't as strict as Virginia's.

North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee -- Those states all border Virginia, and it used to be that if you had a concealed carry permit issued from them then Virginia would automatically recognize it as valid within its borders too.

As Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring kicks off a study aimed at encouraging more minorities to enter law enforcement in the Commonwealth one of the Southside Virginia cities set to take part is dealing with severe financial problems that could make recruiting even more difficult.

Martinsville has 51 police officers. Four of those officers are black. That number is even more striking when you consider that African-Americans make up 45% of the city's population.